Lightroom CC 2015 to Lightroom 4

[Guest]

I have done some basic processing (flags, ratings, straightening and cropping) of jpg files using Lightroom CC 2015. I now want to hand these files onto someone else to do more advanced processing (with my adjustments visible), but they only have Lightroom 4.

Import of the files shows the rating but not the flags or any of the history.

I've tried exporting as a catalog from LRCC but LR4 can't open it.

I've saved the files as DNG from LRCC but with no further functionality (still just rating, no flags or history) when imported to LR4 (tried both Copy as DNG and Add).

I suspect it (full history of adjustments) can't be done, but if anyone knows otherwise, please share.

[Rob_Cullen]

Catalogs  (copies or exported) are not 'backward' compatible- so no joy there.

Have you tried writing metadata to the dng files (Select and CTRL+S) then export or copy the originals?

[Guest]

Thanks wobertc - I suspected as much.

Yes, I have tried writing metadata, plus I have the catalog setting of 'Automatically write changes into XMP' set.

[Rob_Cullen]

If you edit a photo in Lr then save metadata, the changes to the photo will be visible if it is viewed in Photoshop or imported into another Lr catalog.

The limitations are that Lr4 will not be able to recognize some of the editing features that have been added to more recent versions of Lr, but all the basic adjustments should be visible.

(A Lr guru may be able to tell me if you would need to be editing with a previous "process" version to be compatible with Lr4.)

Also the editing is not visible in file browsers like Windows explorer, etc.

Do a trial- Develop one DNG image (eg. convert to monochrome), save to metadata (Ctrl+s), then open the DNG in Photoshop- Ps will open the DNG in ACR and show the image as monochrome. And I believe that Lr4 will show the same- but no history will be available- only the image as it was when you saved the metadata.

Any 'external' editor using Adobe software should be able to work with your DNG, starting with the photo as you saved it.

[Guest]

No luck wobertc​, not even PS CS6 v13 can see the changes history. Thank you so much for your advice.

[JP Hess]

You could consider exporting 16-bit TIF images and handing them off to the other person.

[Guest]

Thank you JimHess​, unfortunately that still doesn't allow the history of the changes made to date to be visible (the other user has LR4 and PS CS6).

I think I just have to accept that it is not possible.